


Cal's Great Adventure

by katanrock



Series: Meeting Places (Back Here Again) [11]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Cal being an idiot, Cal's fifteen he knows how to cuss now, Gen, Maul stop being a drama queen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, hondo shows up whenever he pleases, normal cussing in star wars, surprise surprise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24445210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katanrock/pseuds/katanrock
Summary: What was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission turned into something...not that.Or, Cal meets a certain pirate and former Sith.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Cal Kestis
Series: Meeting Places (Back Here Again) [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639870
Comments: 37
Kudos: 188





	1. Mission Gone Wrong

“Their supply factory is located about four klicks from this base.” Obi-Wan points at the map, Cal leaning in as they zoomed in. 

“Once you get there, make a quick recon of the factory, then come straight back. I don’t want you attacking without more men.” 

Cal leaned back, lifting an eyebrow at his Master. It’s a year and a half into Cal’s training, and he easily picked up many of his Master’s mannerisms, including his infamous raised eyebrow. “Don’t worry. It’s a nice, simple mission.” Cal sweeped his hand out, relaxed. “We’ll be in and out and back here before you know it.”

Obi-Wan smiled, patting his Padawan’s shoulder. 

“Gather your men. You’ll be leaving in a half hour.” Cal nodded, briskly leaving the makeshift command center. 

Cal stepped out, the sun shining brightly into the jungle woods of Yara. Their job was easy. Take down some factories that have been supplying the Separatists. They had broken through air defenses, landing near one of the factories in question. The planet was a luscious green, and a small part of Cal grieved for bringing war to the beautiful planet. 

Cal made his way over to a group of  _ vode _ , armor covered in scratches and paint, helmets held in their arms. Two ARC troopers were in the group, and Cal was relieved to know that he didn’t have shinies that he had to look after. As Cal made his way over, the men stood in parade rest. 

“Hello!” Cal called out, waving at them. The five men saluted him. 

“Sir!” They chorused. Cal waved them down, and the men fell back into a relaxed stance. 

“Are we ready to go?” Cal stood in front of them. It felt strange. This wasn’t his first mission commanding a group of men. But no matter how small, Cal still felt his skin prickle as his nerves began racking up. 

Also, being a foot shorter than everyone may also have contributed to his nerves.

An arc trooper nodded his head. A scar ran diagonally across his face from an accident with a machete, and his helmet had the same line going across it. 

“Yes, sir.” Machete answered Cal. 

Cal nodded, and the men put their helmets on, gathering around Cal for a debriefing. “We are to recon one of the supply bases a few klicks that way.” Cal pointed west into the jungle. “Should be easy enough.” Cal smiled winningly at the group. Chuckles made their way around the group, and Cal easily grabbed his comm, water, rations, and his lightsaber as the group headed out of camp.

The jungle was thick and unruly, making the march unbearably slow. The small group stayed close to Cal, who had his lightsaber ignited to cut down any obstacles in their way, Machete and the other ARC trooper, Smith, holding their own vibroblades as well, paving the way towards the factory.

As the group came upon the factory, the jungle slowly opened up to the large building, Cal felt the Force shift. He raised his hand, gesturing for the group to stop. He closed his eyes, spreading his awareness out. He felt the insects, the grass, the trees. Reaching even farther out, he felt it. Sentient life, and the metal tinge of a ship nearby. 

Cal pointed to the left, and the group silently followed him, the Force heightening Cal’s awareness. 

The group made their way to the jungle’s edge, spotting a freighter ship docked, landing pad open for the sentients loading it up with unknown boxes. The slightly worn look of the ship paired with concealed weapons told Cal enough.

“Smugglers.” Cal whispered. He could feel his men tensing up at that. Cal wracked his brain. Using his comm would be unwise. The smugglers could easily find the transmission, alerting them to their presence. So, warning base was out of the question. Not to mention they still had a mission to complete. 

“Okay.” Cal muttered to himself. “You got this.” He turned to his men.

“Alright. Sending any transmission is a bad idea. Plus, we still need to scope out the factory.” Cal pointed at three of his men. “Shock, Track, and Draken. I want you three to start recon. Find out as much as you can on the factory’s defenses, and see if you can see where all the smuggler’s supplies are being held.” Cal pointed at Machete and Smith. “You two, stay with me. I’m going in to find out more about what they’re smuggling, and if it’s useful to us.” They nodded, Shock leading the other two away from the smugglers and the ARC troopers pulling out their blasters.

Cal grabbed a pair of binoculars, zooming in on the group of smugglers. Most of the crew was human, or near-human at least. There was one Weequay male, and three Rodians, adding up to twelve workers. Cal focused on where the cockpit of the ship would be, but couldn’t get a clear visual. 

So, at least a twelve-person group, possibly more if there were more inside the ship. Cal put the binoculars down.

“What’re you planning, sir?” Machete whispered. Cal could feel his body vibrating, and for a moment, his mind went blank. 

It was like his mind had a reboot, because suddenly, Cal felt a surge of energy pushing him up, with Machete and Smith confused behind him. 

“I’m going down there and see if I can figure out what they’re smuggling. We need to know if they’re affiliated with the Separatists or if they’re just regular smugglers.” He murmured. “You guys watch my back, and I’m going to get as close as possible.” 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, sir?” Smith asked. “We’re not exactly equipped for a fight.” He pointed at himself and Machete, both with their rifles and ammo. For a recon mission, it was enough. But taking on some smugglers? They’d be overwhelmed.

“We’re not here to stop them.” Cal explained. “I just want to see what it is they’re smuggling. If it’s bad enough, we’ll report it to my Master once we get back to camp.”

The two ARCs looked at each other worryingly, but said nothing else against him. Cal pushed forward, knowing that the two ARC troopers would be watching his back. 

Cal snuck through the thinning woods, creeping closer to the ship, before sprinting behind a set of boxes. He leaned out, looking at the throw of men carrying boxes of cargo into the ship. Cal followed their path, finding their shipment sitting at the edge of the large compound. Cal quickly darted through the landing pad, hiding behind other miscellaneous boxes until he made it to his destination.

There were dozens of boxes, all stacked neatly. One of the Rodian crew members came over, picking up a crate, before lugging it back to the ship. Cal stared at one of the boxes. He needed to figure out what they were smuggling. And the only way to do that was to check the mysterious crates.

Cal reached his hand out, slowly moving one of the crates out of its position, floating it to the ground. He sighed as it landed with a soft thud. He turned his head, peeking out to the smugglers. No one saw anything. He puffed out a breath.  _ Here goes nothing. _

Cal opened the crate gently, silently placing the lid onto the ground. Inside were machine parts unrecognisable to Cal’s inexperienced eyes. He knew that Anakin could tell him with a single glance what these parts fit into. However, the amount of machinery and technology told Cal that this was probably a Separatist machine, maybe a new droid. In short, bad for the Republic.

Before Cal could do anything else, the Force screamed out at him. He moved, a blaster bolt singing the place where he stood seconds ago. Cal quickly looked up at his assailant, a human male with blonde hair and goggles that masked his eyes. 

“We got someone snooping around!” The man yelled, Outer Rim accent thick. Shots began firing from the man once again, and Cal quickly dodged the bolts before calling the lid of the crate into his arms. As a makeshift shield, Cal quickly sheathed his lightsaber and ran.

“He’s a Jedi!” the blondie yelled, and other blaster bolts quickly joined. Cal knew that at least some of them would be from Machete and Smith, but he didn’t dwell on it. A figure wearing impressive armor came from Cal’s left side, a vibroblade in hand. It buzzed with electricity, and Cal dropped the lid with a hiss as the electricity shocked him. 

Blaster bolts continued to fly as the two fought. The man attacked aggressively. Each stroke felt like a hammer, and Cal had to use all his strength to stop his attacks. Cal stayed on the defensive, Soresu moves blocking each hard blow. The strikes slowly became sloppy as the man tired, and Cal finally found an opening, falling to the ground and knocking the man over his shoulder. He toppled over, landing with a grunt. Cal kicked his blade away. 

But before Cal could continue his retreat, something jabbed into his back. He fell to the ground, spasming as another human tazed him. Above him stood an older male, hair cropped close to his skull, salt and peppered. 

_ Shit _ , he thought as the man’s fist raced towards his face.


	2. Things Somehow Get Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal finds himself captive aboard a smuggler ship. He finds out very quickly who their employer is.

“Ey, boss. The kid’s waking.” 

Cal groaned at the noise, blinking his eyes open. He winced at the ache around his left eye. Bruised.  _ Where am I? _

His question was answered as he stared at the bars of what looked like the brig of a ship. 

Right. He decided to take on some smugglers by himself. 

_ Force, I should’ve brought Machete and Smith with me.  _ He thought as the human who spotted him back at the factory smirked down at him.  _ That would’ve been the smart thing to do. Or better yet, I should’ve just called Master Obi-Wan. _

“Rise ‘n shine, Jedi.” The blonde man sang, kneeling from behind the bars. Cal shuffled around, finding his hands cuffed in front of him. He tried to reach out for the Force, in hopes of gaining some information, but found his connection blocked. Every attempt at reaching the Force made his skin crawl as he tried to find any sign of the Force’s comforting waves. None. He glanced down at the large handcuffs.  _ Force suppressant cuffs. What kind of smugglers are they? _

“Can’t feel your Force now, can ya?” the man growled. “You’re stuck, lil guy.”

Panic began to sink into Cal. He was stuck on a ship which has left the planet’s surface, cuffed, with no connection to the Force. He didn’t have his comm or his lightsaber anymore, and who knows what happened to his men. 

With any luck, his Master was already looking for him. He felt shame and guilt settle into his stomach, overshadowing his acute panic. What would Obi-Wan think? He ran head-first into something without thought of the consequences. And look where it got him.

Cal was brought from his thoughts as a buff man stomped down the brig towards blondie. It was the man who tased him. He was older, salt-and-pepper hair that many would say was handsome. He was about a foot taller than the other human and a giant compared to Cal, towering body built like a rock formation. The man crossed his arms as he stared down at Cal.

“You caused us quite a lot of trouble.” 

Cal huffed at that. “Well, you guys didn’t seem to be doing anything legal.” 

The man chuckled. “Ah, but of course. Just like any  _ Jedi _ would, getting into other people’s business without hesitation, all high and mighty.” The man leaned onto the bars, arm perched between the cracks. A large shadow fell over Cal as the man leaned in.

“Do you know what we do to people like you?” His voice lowered, deep baritone barely above a whisper. Cal felt the hair on his skin stand up, the threat hanging over Cal’s head.

“We would usually sell you to the highest bidder.” The man began to explain. Cal didn’t need the lecture, he knew how much a Jedi-especially a young one-cost on the market. The Temple emphasized awareness to all Younglings who ventured outside the safe walls of the Temple. “Quite pretty too, don’t you think?” The question was aimed at the blondie, who only grinned at that. Cal grew cold at that.  _ Please don’t. _ He thought. 

“Unfortunately,” the man straightened back up, his oppressive shadow retreating. “Our employer has something different in mind. And I’m not gonna be the one to cross him.” Cal didn’t know whether to be happy or worried at that. Whatever happened to him, it wasn’t going to be good.

“If I may ask,” Cal began slowly, “Who's your employer?”

The man merely smirked. “You’ll be meeting with him very soon. It’s rare that we see him, let alone interact with him. I’ll let him introduce himself.” With that, the older man left, leaving the blondie as the guard to his cell. Not like he could break out. He wasn’t his Master.

_ Force, _ he thought,  _ I’m so fucked _ .

  
  


Funnily enough, Cal did find a way to escape, if that was possible. 

The sound of thudding feet came down the hallway, and Cal saw blondie begin shooting back. The man was hit in the chest, falling to the ground with a thud. Stepping over the dead body was a strangely dressed Weequay, blaster in hand. The man sighed, before realizing Cal locked in the cell.

“Why hello there!” The man drawled. Cal couldn’t place his accent, but it wasn’t from any Core or Mid Rim system. So he was from the Outer Rim. From the looks of his flashy red coat and hat, the man was most definitely a criminal of sorts. “Looks like you need some help! Well, Hondo Ohnaka can provide!”

“Hi.” Cal greeted hesitantly. The Weequay was strange, that’s for sure. “What are you doing here?”

Hondo gasped. “Why, hoping to make a profit of course!” Another smuggler, or pirate. Great.

“Uh, can you maybe help me out of here?” The other, probably Hondo, stroked his chin dramatically.

“Well, I might do so, if you give something in return.” Hondo smirked, hands outstretched. 

Cal narrowed his eyes. “What is this ‘something’?” Hondo tsked.

“Well, money of course!” He exclaimed. “Or hard labor.” The man tacked on, realizing that a young kid stuck in the brig of a smuggler’s freighter would probably not be very liquid.

“How about this.” Cal’s mind raced. He didn’t want to be indebted to Hondo for forever. But he needed the man to agree to let him out and help him escape and return to the 212th. “I help you steal from these smugglers, and you help me escape. Is that enough hard labor for you?”

Hondo mulled over the deal, once again stroking his chin. “Hmmm, fine, fine! You have a deal.” Hondo stuck his hand through the bars to give an awkward handshake. Having your hands cuffed made it surprisingly hard to give proper handshakes.

Hondo rummaged around in blondie’s clothes, pulling out two keys. He opened the barred door with one, before unlocking Cal’s handcuffs.

The rush of the Force almost toppled Cal to the ground. His awareness heightened almost had Cal passing out from the sensory overload, but he quickly shook himself out of it. The Force caressed Cal’s mind, almost cooing. He wrapped himself in it’s embrace before quickly exiting his cell.

“Now! I’ve introduced myself.” Hondo began. Cal grabbed the blondie’s blaster, bouncing it in his hand. Weighty, but not bulky. He thanked Boil and Waxer for teaching him how to shoot. “What would I call you?”

“Cal.” He omitted his last name. No need to give too much information to a pirate.

“Cal!” Hondo crowed. He wrapped a hand around Cal’s shoulder, leading the two out of the brig. “I’m sure you will do wonderfully hauling carts with my men!” 

Cal stopped. “Wait.” He turned to Hondo. “I need to grab my stuff.”

Hondo waved his hand. “Of course, of course! We will find it while we make our way to the main hold.” Without giving Cal anymore time to say anything, Hondo began lugging Cal through the boiler room and up above-ship.

The sound of fighting filled the corridors, and the duo quickly made their way down the hallways, passing other Weequay pirates dressed similarly to their leader taking down the smugglers. 

Just as the two took a left, Cal felt a tug on his mind. The shining presence of his kyber crystals called out to him, and Cal stopped abruptly to take a look around. He opened his presence, scanning the rooms in the hall for his crystals.

Hondo skidded to a stop. “What are you doing?”

Cal quickly opened the door to his left. It was a storage room. “I’m looking for my stuff.” Hondo grumbled behind him, his muttering sounding awfully like ‘ungrateful brat’. Cal ignored the pirate and turned his attention to finding his things.

He found his things in one of the large crates. He smiled, clipping his belt back on and putting his vambrace back into place. He finally picked up his lightsaber. The two crystals hummed in happiness.  _ You’re back!  _

Before he retreated his Force presence from reuniting with his crystals, a dark presence carefully caressed his. He jerked his presence back. A small gasp came out. Whatever that presence was, it wasn’t good.

From behind him, Hondo guffawed. “You’re a Jedi!” Cal tensed at Hondo’s loud voice, sheathing a blade as he slipped into form. Hondo raised his hands, shaking them in hopes of placating Cal.

“Oh, no no! I’m not a foe!” The Weequay chuckled, adjusting his hat. “I’m in very good relations with the Jedi! I’d like to say one of them is a dear friend.” The man pondered his last thought. “Or, at least I think he is. Anyways!” The man continued talking. “I bet I could get a decent price for returning you back to the Republic. After all, you must be someone’s apprentice!”

Cal powered down his lightsaber. Hondo wasn’t a threat to him. “Well, let's get to your ship.” 

Hondo led the way. “Of course! I could use your skills in this great raid!” Cal said nothing, merely following the pirate out.

They met a couple straggling smugglers, but Cal easily disarmed them, barely slowing down to kick someone down or cut their weapon and knock them in the head. By the time they made it to the cargo hold, half of the crates were already loaded. Cal lit his ‘saber as blaster bolts came from behind, and he began deflecting the bolts away from the cargo and Hondo’s crew. Hondo ran towards the crates, helping his crew lug the cargo onto their transport.

The barrage of fire didn’t let up. In fact, it seemed to get larger.  _ Where are they getting reinforcements? _ At that thought, the dark, oily presence entered his mind once again. He gasped, forcing the strand out of his mind. It was close. He remembered the large man’s comment. ‘Our employer has something different in mind for you.’

_ Shit, shit, SHIT _ . Cal cursed under his breath. The dark presence he felt was definitely the employer. With his luck, it was a Sith leading whatever group the smugglers worked for.

Cal began moving back from the cargo hold entrance. The amount of blaster fire was almost too much for Cal to handle. Suddenly, the large amount of plasma shots ceased. Cal held his lightsaber in defensive form, both blades lit. 

Suddenly, his throat closed up. Gasping, Cal let his lightsaber fall to the ground, his hands grabbing at his neck for a physical hand that wasn’t there. His body was lifted from the ground. From beyond the entrance, a voice chuckled.

“It seems like your prisoner decided to help these pirates steal from you. From  _ me _ .” The voice was low and smooth. A hint of a threat lingered in the air. From the corridor, a man emerged from the shadows, mechanical legs clanging against the floor. He could hear shuffling of the pirates behind him.

“Now, where are my manners?” The black and red Zabrak waved the air as if he accidentally insulted someone.

“I am Darth Maul.” Cal felt the tension around his neck release as he was thrown across the room, landing on a pile of crates. Just as soon as it left, the pressure from the Force came back, pinning his limbs to the ground.

“And I hope you will be the perfect bait for a certain Jedi Master.” The man purred. A spike of pure fear filled Cal.

_ Force, _ his breathing became shallow. Of course it had to be a Sith.  _ How did this hot mess get even worse? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Am I posting this in the middle of the night? Yes. But I just couldn't wait!
> 
> I'm super proud of this chapter because I'm just really happy with how Hondo came out. I've never written him before and strangely enough, he was really easy to write! I'm currently writing the next chapter, so hopefully the wait won't be too long!
> 
> Anywho, leave kudos, drop a comment, whatever! I'll see you guys soon.


	3. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal finds himself used as bait to lure his Master closer to his nemesis, Maul. Needless to say, Cal is relieved when rescue arrives.

“Seize these pirates.” Maul slowly made his way to Cal, picking up his lightsaber. From the entrance, the smugglers, as well as some heavily armored men made their way towards the pirates, weapons ready. The pirates raised their arms in surrender and were pushed to the ground, weapons kicked away from their grasps. Maul studied his lightsaber in curiosity, noticing it’s longer length, realizing it’s dual blade. 

“Interesting.” Maul muttered. He said no more, clipping the lightsaber to his belt. Cal, still held down by Maul, merely glared at the Zabrak.

Maul let up his hold on Cal. He slowly sat up, leaning on one of the crates. Maul kneeled, now face level with Cal’s. 

“Here is what’s going to happen.” Maul pulled out a commlink. “I’m going to speak with your Master, and you will be wise to keep your mouth shut.” Cal glared at the menacing man, staring straight into his unnatural yellow eyes. 

Maul smirked. “He will follow the signal here, and I will exact revenge on dear Kenobi.” Cal shuddered at that.

“Why do you want Master Obi-Wan? What has he done to you that you need to exact revenge so badly?” Cal is reminded of his Master’s secret missions to Raydonia and Florrum. Could they have been connected to this dark sider? Maul scowled at this, his presence darkening at Cal’s comment. Panic spiked in his stomach as Maul growled, grabbing his face.

“Did he not tell you?” Maul growled out. “I fought him on Naboo. I gutted his Master. He cut me in half, and my Master discarded me, said I was of no use to him anymore!” Maul cried out, squeezing Cal’s face as he slammed him onto the crate behind him. His head spun at the hard contact. 

“He ruined my life.” Maul snarled. He sagged into himself, almost defeated. “I want revenge on Kenobi because he took everything from me. For that,” Maul chuckled, grip tightening around Cal’s jaw. “I will destroy everything he loves.” Maul’s look shook Cal to his core. Right then, Cal knew. If Maul got his way, Cal would not survive this encounter.

Maul released his hold on Cal’s face, and he rolled his jaw. He wouldn’t be surprised to find bruises slowly forming across his jawline. Maul stood up, activating his commlink. Cal wondered how the man got Republic comm frequencies, but decided that he didn’t want to know.

From the commlink, Cal saw the blue form of his Master, standing with his feet spread apart and hands clasped behind his back. His shoulders were tense and a glare sat firmly on Obi-Wan’s face. Cal had never seen his Master this emotionally vexed before.

“Maul.” Obi-Wan said tersely.

“Kenobi.” Maul gave a wolfish smile at the other. “I have something that you want.” Immediately, Obi-Wan’s glare became full-on deadly. Maul stepped aside, revealing Cal, bruised face, to Obi-Wan. 

“I assume you want something in return.” Obi-Wan shifted his arms to his chest, crossed. The intense glower still sat on his face, but his eyes crinkled, worry peeking through his usually blank expression. Cal reached for his bond with the man, sending a pulse of calm and determination in hopes of appeasing Obi-Wan. He didn’t know if it reached him. There was no shift in his Master’s posture.

Maul’s cold laughter filled the cargo hold. Cal didn’t dare look towards Hondo and his crew for their reactions. “But of course.” The Zabrak began pacing. “Bring the remaining cargo left at the factory. We will make an exchange at the coordinates in three hours time. Oh, and keep the number of clones to a minimum.” Obi-Wan bristled at that, before taking a deep breath. 

Obi-Wan’s expression finally cleared. He no longer glared down at his long-time nemesis. But he stayed tense. “And what if I refuse?” Cal felt a spike of panic at that, but quickly snuffed it out. Obi-Wan wouldn’t leave him with Maul. He wouldn’t.

Maul snarled. “Then I hope your last conversation with your apprentice was touching.” Without another word, Maul ended the call. The blue visage of his Master was gone, and Cal could only hope that Obi-Wan figured out the trap this was going to be.

“Now,” Maul purred. He gestured an armored man over, grabbing the cuffs he held out. They were force-suppressant. Cal cringed at the thought of losing the Force once again. “I suggest you cooperate.” Cal could only glare up at Maul as he cuffed him.

  
  


The pirates were all rounded up, moved to the opposite side of the hold, their weapons collected and in a pile in the middle of the room. Cal was dragged from the cargo hold, taken to a small storage room. He was forced to his knees in the middle of the room. Maul paced in front of him, his gaze seeming to pierce through his mind. Cal trained his eyes to the ground, only seeing Maul’s well-worn boots in his periphery.

“I won’t kill you,” Maul stopped in front of Cal. “but I can’t help but think that my old nemesis wouldn’t like for his apprentice to be harmed.” Slowly, Maul kneeled before the young boy. 

“Look at me.” Cal didn’t raise his head. 

“I said, look at me!” Cal squeaked out as Maul’s hand swept across his face. Cal tumbled to the ground as his shoulder took the brunt of the fall. Pain spiked down his shoulder. He grimaced. Maul leaned over him. 

“Look. At.  _ Me. _ ” He snarled. He tugged sharply at his braid so hard, Cal feared he would rip it off his head. In the tussle, Cal got a clear view of the Zabrak’s teeth.  _ Yeesh. Guess he hasn’t been to the dentist in a while _ .

“Kenobi has yet to save anyone from me.” Maul sneered down at Cal. From his belt, he pulled out his lightsaber menacingly, held close to Cal’s neck. It’s long hilt was similar to Cal’s. It wasn’t until the red blades ignited from both ends that Cal realized why Maul was so interested in his own lightsaber.  _ Dual bladed _ , Cal thought in both awe and fear. “And while I’m sparing your life right now, I  _ will _ kill you when the time is right.” With that, the Zabrak sheathed his lightsaber and stood up, walking briskly out of the room. The door closed with a whoosh, leaving Cal shivering in darkness.

The three hours in total darkness with only his thoughts left Cal harrowed. Enough time for embarrassment and shame to settle into his mind. What kind of idiot was he, running off after smugglers? He only hoped none of his men died in his absence.

Eventually, the ship docked. It was at this point that Maul came back, interrupting Cal’s thoughts, hauling him from his sitting position, and leading them both out of the ship. From the entourage that Maul brought aboard the ship, two left the huddle of pirates to take their place behind Maul.

They left the ship onto a barren hangar. On the other side, a Republic transport ship sat docked. It’s cargo hold was open, with identical crates to the ones on the smuggler ship making their way onto the hangar floor. Cal watched as the form of Cody and Boil appear with crates, their helmets firmly in place. Cody looked up, and Cal felt their eyes meet through Cody’s visor. The other’s shoulder tensed, before quietly speaking to Boil and pulling out a commlink.

Maul stopped the group halfway between both ships. Maul’s grip on Cal’s arm was still vice-like, and Cal was pretty sure that it was gonna leave a bruise. Actually, he was getting a lot of bruises from this predicament. 

From the Republic transport, Cal watched Obi-Wan appear. Just as in the comm call, Obi-Wan’s posture stayed rigid. His eyes were an icy blue, and Cal saw dark bruises around his Master’s eyes, something he didn’t see before. From the transport, Boil and Cody both took their positions behind Obi-Wan, mirroring Maul’s set-up as they slowly moved to the center of the landing pad.

“Kenobi.” Maul sneered. Obi-Wan’s face was as rigid as a stone, deep set between a glare and his usual blank stare. “I’m so glad you came.”

“Give us the boy.” The cold tone and the lack of name made Cal flinch. He felt guilt churn in his stomach. He made a mistake fighting the smugglers alone. He put himself in this terrible situation. And now his Master is probably more than furious with him.  _ Maybe he won’t want me anymore. _ Cal couldn’t help the thought. With no Force to release his emotions to, fear and shame continued to grow within him.

The conversation continued. “Now, now.” Maul tutted. “I would love to see within the crates. Insurance that our transaction is… honest.” 

Without another word, Obi-Wan moved the crates all the way from the Republic transport to before Maul with a swipe of his hand. They tumbled ungracefully, some skidding further away from the group and others bumping into each other. The blatant misuse of the Force would’ve been funny if Cal wasn’t on the urge of a panic attack. 

_ Breath in,  _ Maul let go of Cal, shoving him to one of the armored guards.  _ Hold, _ Maul began opening the crates.  _ And out.  _ Cal repeated the breathing exercise the best he could as Maul meticulously opened each crate, looking for any sabotage. Cal met his Master’s eyes, which softened. He smiled faintly. Cal looked away quickly, focusing back on his breathing.

Eventually, Maul made his way back over, satisfied with what he found. Cal tensed at this. Maul has the crates now. But he has yet to keep his word on ‘taking everything Obi-Wan loves’. The air seemed to crackle, as Obi-Wan stared the man down. 

“Hand him over.” Maul merely chuckled at that. Cody and Boil both tensed, hands hovering over their rifles. 

Maul had his lightsaber out at the ready, and Obi-Wan tensed at the sight of the weapon. Cal was still firmly held by a guard, defenseless against any attack. Cal began thrashing in the guard’s hold, hoping to find any weakness that would help with his escape. With a smirk, Maul attacked. 

Time seemed to slow down, and Cal watched the red blade near his head. He finally broke through the guards hold, bringing his hands up to protect his head. The red blade fell across, cutting through the metal of his handcuffs like butter. With a clang, the cuffs fell uselessly to the ground. 

For a second time, Cal felt the rush of the Force reconnecting with him. The panic and fear he tried so hard to quell reinvigorated. Cal screamed as his emotions rushed to escape him through the sudden appearance of an exit. Spreading his body outward, he pushed with all his might. The group rushed back at the sheer power emanating from Cal. Just as quickly as it began, it stopped. The guards, Cody, and Boil were scattered across the hangar. Only Obi-Wan and Maul remained relatively unmoved, if shocked. Recovering quickly, Obi-Wan darted forward, engaging Maul.

Cal crumpled to the ground as his energy sapped out after his copious use of the Force. He groaned, grimacing at the pain in his throat. Screaming left his throat scratchy. From the sides of the hangar, both the armored guards, and Cody and Boil began to recover. In the middle was Maul and Obi-Wan.

Cal could barely follow the flurry of blue and red blades. Neither were letting up. While Maul stayed on the offensive most of the time, Obi-Wan’s mastery over Soresu kept any attacks at bay. Cal stumbled to shaky feet, wobbling for a moment before steadying himself. His overexertion from his Force push left him weak, useless in a fight. 

The lightsaber fight was not the only struggle going on. Cal heard thuds and cries from the smuggler’s ship. The shouting became louder until the sight of smugglers and pirates fighting exited the aircraft. The two armored men who escorted Maul were swept up into the skirmish, one which seemed to be falling into the pirates’ favor. Cal could barely make out the distinct style of jacket that was Hondo through the fight. The Weequay rallied his men, pushing the smugglers and armored men out from the ship. It’s engines started, clearly waiting for Hondo to successfully flush any enemies out and escape.

From his left, the shift of gold armor caught Cal’s eye. Boil wrapped one of Cal’s arms around his shoulder, heaving the younger boy towards the transport. Behind them, shots went off, missing their marks. He could hear the sound of engines start up. As they entered, the ship began lifting off. 

Obi-Wan, still engaged with Maul, pushed the other back before sprinting towards the still open door of the transport. He jumped, gracefully landing in the ship, the door quickly closing behind him. The Force screamed in anger, the dark tendrils that oozed from Maul extending out as the Zabrak projected his humiliation through the Force. Cal gasped, the mental toll of his outburst forcing Cal’s knees out from under him. Instead of meeting the hard ground, Cal fell into the warm arms of his Master. Cal gripped the man’s tunics tightly, burying himself into the other’s chest.

“I’m-I’m so sorry.” Cal muttered into Obi-Wan’s chest. His shame and fear were back again. He felt tears prickle in his eyes. Now was the moment. Obi-Wan would yell at Cal. He would reprimand his behavior, repudiate him, cast him away. “I only wanted to check the smugglers myself, I-I wasn’t thinking, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” 

Instead of being denied, Cal felt Obi-Wan’s arm tighten around his shoulders. A hand made its way into his hair, gently soothing Cal’s frayed nerves. 

“Shh,” Obi-Wan began rocking them side to side. “It’s alright. You’re safe now. We’re here for you.” The tears in Cal’s eyes began falling. His sniffles became sobs. In his Master’s arms, Cal allowed himself to let go of the fear and confusion of the last two days.

At some point, Obi-Wan slowly moved them to one of the few seats in the transport. Boil stood on the other side of the ship, giving the Master-Padawan duo some privacy. Cal peeled himself off of his Master, grimacing at the mess he made on Obi-Wan’s tunic. Obi-Wan merely gave him a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry. It’ll wash off.” Obi-Wan rubbed Cal’s shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Guilt tinged Obi-Wan’s voice. Cal could only feel horror at that.

“It was my fault!” Cal almost screamed that, before his sore throat reminded him of his previous outburst. “I shouldn’t have gone against the smugglers myself.” 

Obi-Wan sighed. “I do agree that your actions were quite reckless.” Obi-Wan glanced pointedly at him. “We’ll work on your impulsiveness. However, the situation was not something you should’ve gone through regardless of your actions that led you there.” Obi-Wan smiled at Cal. “But it seems that you used the resources at your disposal quite well.” Something like amusement flickered across his face. “I understand that you acquainted yourself with Hondo Ohnaka.” 

Cal’s eyes widened. “Wait. You know him?!” 

“Of course.” Obi-Wan laughed. “I would say we’re somewhat friends.” Cal thought back to Hondo’s throwaway comment about friends in the Order. Guess he found them

His mind stayed a moment thinking about the pirate’s current predicament. He wondered if he was okay.

“I don’t think I wanna know how you two met.” 

Obi-Wan smiled regretfully at him. “No. I don’t think you do.” His face morphed into a grimace. “Though I’m regretful that you had to meet Maul at all.” 

Cal shivered at the reminder of the cold Zabrak. “Did you really cut him in half? Did he really kill your Master?” Cal hesitated a little. “Is- Is that what your secret missions were about?”

Obi-Wan’s face shifted. A shroud of sadness fell over him. “Yes.” He sighed. “I thought him dead. We all did.” Cal hesitantly reached out for his Master. In his emotional state, it would be easy to trigger Cal’s psychometry. When he grabbed his Master’s hand, he thanked the Force for not pulling him into the memory of Maul Obi-Wan seemed to be reflecting on.

“Oh.” Obi-Wan seemed to remember something, reaching for his belt. From it, he unclipped Cal’s lightsaber. He smiled, happy to have his weapon back. 

“I know you’re not Anakin, and this situation does not lend itself any smooth transitions into this conversation. But I feel like I must impede on you the importance of your weapon. A Jedi is never without his lightsaber. It is your life.” Cal almost snorted at that.

“If it’s your life, why do you always lose yours?” Despite the distance, Boil still heard the comment, and couldn’t hold back his choked laughter. Obi-Wan glared at the clone with no heat, before turning back to his Padawan.

“That’s because I know it’s always with someone I trust with my life with.” 

“Aka, Cody, who’s also tired of carrying it for you.” Obi-Wan’s displeased face was priceless to Cal, who for once got an upper hand on his silver tongued Master. The man huffed, crossing his arms. His face softened, noticing his Padawan’s more relaxed posture and easy smile.

“I’m glad you’re alright.” Obi-Wan murmured. Cal smiled shyly back.

“Yeah. I’m glad to be heading back.” 

The transport exited hyperspace, smoothly docking onto the Negotiator. From the cockpit, Cody stepped out. His gaze fell onto Cal’s battered self.

“Don’t you dare do that ever again.” Despite the harsh words, there wasn’t any bite in his comment. Cal merely smiled, tackling the other into a large hug. 

“Don’t worry, Cody. I’m alright.” Cody’s face softened. He hugged the younger boy back. Cal was starting his growth spurt. Soon enough he would be as tall as his Master. Maybe even more. 

“Come on,” Cody wrapped an arm around Cal’s shoulder. Obi-Wan took the spot on Cal’s other side. “Let’s take you to the Med Bay.” 

Something sparked in Cody’s eyes. The clone smirked. “Locke’s gonna have a field day with you.” Cal paled at the thought of the thunderous medic, but could do nothing as his Commander and his Master escorted him. Cal sighed, basking in the warmth both bodies provided both physically and mentally.

_ Home, sweet home. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I hope this chapter was a nice conclusion to this story. Personally, I'm not totally proud of how I ended this little adventure. I tried to find places to write more introspection and thoughts that Cal might've been thinking, as well as trying my best to write Maul convincingly. I'm not sure if I succeeded in either. But, this chapter was fun to write, and I'm sad I couldn't find a way to include more Hondo. Also, the timeline of when this happens also doesn't quite make sense, but I'm just going with the flow for this.
> 
> Anywho, leave kudos and comments, and I'll see you guys later!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! I'm back, and with a plot of my own! I'm lowkey super proud of this and where I'm taking this story! I hope you guys enjoyed it and will enjoy the coming chapters.
> 
> My state is slowly opening things and I'm hoping to start working soon! But I've already started the next chapter and the chapter after that, so hopefully updates will be pretty fast. Anywho, leave kudos, drop a comment, whatever! I'll see you guys soon!


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